DSPN - RUGBY

The trickle has become a river. Martin Devlin, John Day, and Mark Watson dive into the massive talent drain hitting New Zealand rugby, with 11 big names already signed away. We ask the hard questions: Has the All Black jersey lost its value? Should we start selecting from overseas? Plus, we tackle the "negative narrative" claims from NZ Rugby and why Super Rugby is struggling to keep us awake.

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We’re breaking down a massive Round 12 where the Crusaders might have every right to feel aggrieved over a shocker of a forward pass. Tony Johnson joins us to look at the Hurricanes’ grit, the Blues' second-half surges, and why the Brumbies’ defense has completely fallen off a cliff. We ask the big question: in a competition where anyone can beat anyone, who actually has what it takes for the playoffs?

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Let’s be honest, we all saw it coming — or in the case of that Crusaders try, we all saw the forward pass that the TMO somehow missed. Martin breaks down six key takeaways from Super Rugby Round 12, from the Hurricanes sitting in the box seat to the "round robin of pain" ahead for the top Kiwi sides. We look at why the Waratahs are underdelivering again and if Auckland really has a shot at hosting the Super Round.

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It’s an emotional final mailbag as we bid farewell to Lachlan Waugh before he heads off to Sky. We dive into the massive success of the Christchurch Super Round, debate whether Ardie Savea can captain the All Blacks from the bench, and tackle the "naff" state of halftime entertainment. Plus, we explore the retro jersey trend and why Athletic Park’s urinals are a smell you never forget.

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Sir Steve Hansen is back with Martin, and as always, there is no soft serve here. From Christchurch’s new stadium buzz to the All Blacks’ future, this is a proper state-of-the-game chat.

We get into Super Rugby standards, New Zealand’s player pathways, the lure of the All Blacks jersey, offshore eligibility, Dave Rennie’s coaching group, and why Hansen still believes this country has the talent to get back to the top.

And yes, South Africa come up. Hansen’s view? They are brilliant, they are number one, but they are absolutely beatable. Which is handy, because staying grumpy about not being number one feels like a very Kiwi place to start.

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After 15 years of waiting, planning, debating and building, Christchurch finally has its new stadium, and Marty is right in the thick of it.

Martin Devlin talks with Chris Paterson and former Wallaby Al Baxter from Populous, the architecture firm behind Te Kaha, about what it takes to design a stadium that feels big, close, loud and properly special. They discuss the emotional weight of the project, Christchurch’s post-earthquake journey, and why this venue is about far more than rugby.

From the engineering challenge of a roof in a heavy seismic zone to the dream of creating a “factory of memories", this is a look inside a building designed for sport, concerts, community and a fair bit of noise.

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Ever watched a game and thought, “how on earth is that the rule?” Yeah, same. That’s where Jeff the Ref comes in.

This week, Jeff McGregor joins us to break down some of the biggest refereeing moments from Super Rugby, including head contact calls, obstruction, a spider cam intervention, and one of the strangest tries you’ll see all season.

We get into the grey areas around shoulder-first tackles, why some calls feel inconsistent, and how much referees can realistically process in real time. Plus, there’s a proper deep dive into grounding the ball, and why something that looks wrong can still be technically right.

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Christchurch finally got its big rugby weekend, and fair play, it looked and felt like the sort of thing Super Rugby has been begging for. But should Super Round stay there, move around the country, or is Watto right to be the bloke grumbling about chips and long-term crowds?

This week on DSPN’s Rugby Roundtable, Martin is joined by Mark Watson and John Day to dig into the Super Round glow, the Crusaders’ shaky-but-dangerous resurgence, and whether the Blues are actually title contenders or just professionally stressful.

The boys also debate Leicester Fainga’anuku as a loose forward option, whether Fehi Fineanganofo should be picked before heading overseas, Ruben Love’s All Blacks case at 10, and why Sunday rugby feels like the most obvious idea rugby keeps treating like advanced physics.

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Now we get into the rugby. After the buzz of Christchurch, Tony Johnson sticks around to break down a massive Super Rugby round and what it means for the run home.

All five New Zealand teams got the job done, but the bigger story sits in the table. The Chiefs and Hurricanes are setting the pace, the Blues are right there, and the Crusaders are quietly climbing into a spot no one will want to deal with come finals time. Tony unpacks why they’re still dangerous, even without hitting top gear.

There’s also a look at the Brumbies slide, the Reds showing real fight despite another loss, and what’s next for Moana Pasifika as the competition faces a potential shake-up. Plus, we get into that bizarre Drua try, the laws around grounding the ball, and the ongoing All Blacks first-five debate between Barrett, McKenzie and Love.

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Super Rugby's Super Round absolutely delivered! After a cracking weekend in Christchurch, we’re back from Te Kaha Stadium with Tony Johnson to unpack why this one hit differently.

From the packed stands and city buzz to fans in colours from every corner of Super Rugby Pacific, there was a proper festival feel around the whole weekend. Tony and Martin talk through the timing, the new stadium, the walk to the ground, and why locking Christchurch in for the next couple of years might be the smartest move rugby can make.

There’s also chat about what Te Kaha means for other New Zealand cities, whether Auckland has missed its stadium moment, why Dunedin still has a strong case, and how sport can give a city the kind of economic and emotional lift we all noticed over the weekend.

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